My Enemy's Enemy
by LittleKnux2008
Summary: Vanessa is saved from her boss Test by Evolution. When she & HHH fall in love, she finds the love she was looking for, but Y2J suggests that HHH is playing her, & says that she didn't need to look past her closest friend for that. R/R
1. Chapter 1

_My Enemy's Enemy_

_Chapter 1_

_"They say to keep your friends close and your enemies even closer.  But what if you don't know which is which?"_

                Stacey found it hard to keep her eyes on Scott's match with Test.  Her eyes kept traveling to Test's new valet, Vanessa Cleveland.  She saw what the crowd didn't – the small spot where make-up and what not had rubbed off on her stomach, the tiniest bit of a sickening greenish bruise showing through, the way her eyes didn't meet her expression when she winced when Test slammed against the mat, and the way fear jumped onto her face every time it looked like Scott would pin Test for the win.  Once during the match, her eyes had strayed from the ring, casting a longing glance over at the crowd.  Test had caught her, snapping something at her before turning back around.  The fear had shown through on her face in an open show then.  

                Stacey bowed her head quietly, knowing she could do nothing.  By the various exchange of words and looks, she was scared half to death of him.  But she loved him.  A slight shiver crept up her spine, reminding her that that was exactly how she felt.  Even when she did want to get away from him, she couldn't scrounge up the courage.  Startled when the bell rang, Stacey looked up to see Scott lying motionless in the ring.  She slipped into the ring, crawling over to Scott, checking his pulse, when she felt her hair being yanked from her scalp.  Stacey stood up slowly to ease the sharp pain in her skull, knowing that it would be Test's face she would look into next.  

                He laughed at her, pulling her into a position for a pump-handle slam.  Stacey struggled for all she was worth, but he easily overpowered her.  She felt her breath catch as Vanessa jumped into the ring, pleading with Test not to do it.  The pity overwhelmed her again, seeing the wild hope in her blue eyes as she gripped his arm, still pleading, even as his face turned to a new shade of red.  

                Test threw Stacey from him and grabbed Vanessa's bright blond hair.  She thrashed, trying to tug her hair from his grasp.  He slugged her across the face, enjoying the cry of pain she emitted.  Vanessa lay in a heap, gently caressing the spot that was already turning red, hiding in shame behind her mane of hair, holding onto the fact that she stopped Test from doing more damage, when she heard Stacey cry out again.  Test watched as Vanessa stumbled to her feet and toward him.  The cover-up that she'd been using to hide the bruises had wiped off when he punched her, and now the display of multicolored wounds on her left cheek was on display for everyone.  Once again, she begged for him not to slam Stacey, but this time he wasn't going to listen to her.

                And he didn't, not until she slapped him across the face in a desperate attempt to get Stacey the chance to leave.  Her look of triumph disappeared into fear as he stomped toward her, his knee ripping against her stomach.  He didn't relent after he'd essentially backed her into a corner using punches, kicks, and chops.  Test wrapped his massive hand around her throat, squeezing her windpipe savagely.  Her boots tapped against him as she found her strength dissolving.  As her eyelids began to flicker, he tossed her across the ring.  She didn't cry out, all she could manage to do was rasp as she lay on the mat, closing her eyes tightly, hoping that he would leave it at just that.  

                Test grabbed her head, tossing her over the ropes, laughing at the crowd's reaction as Vanessa hit the padded concrete, bouncing up like a stuffed animal.  He slowly exited, relishing in the announcer's comments and in the fan's boos.  Grabbing Vanessa's hand, he dragged her up the ramp, not caring that with every inch the steel tore away her skin.  Vanessa managed to get to her feet, fighting to keep her eyelids from closing.  As he led her up the ramp, she thought that it was finally over, until he let go at the top, turning around to face her.  His hand reached out and backhanded her, his hand colliding with her jawbone.  Vanessa careened to the ground, unable to stand.  He passed a sneer, and then turned, going back to his locker room.  

                After a moment of rest, Vanessa pushed herself onto her hands and knees, not letting the tears run at the humiliation at leaving the ramp like this.  The image of Test's face as he attacked her was fresh on her mind.  The quicker she got to him, the less the punishment would be tonight.  She hung her head, hating herself for standing by him.  But it wasn't like she had any other chance…  If she left him, and stuck with her 2 good friends, RVD and Chris Jericho, he would simply get to her and them at the same time.  If only for their sake, it was best that she stayed with him.  

                She could already see the night's events unfolding as she staggered to his room.  Vanessa rested her hand on the handle, murmuring a quiet prayer, wishing for someone to save her.

                She'd been wishing the same thing for 3 months, and no one had.

*                              *                              *                              *                              *

A/N:  Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

_My Enemy's Enemy _

_Chapter 2_

_"They say to keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.  But what if you don't know which is which?"_

            Vanessa kept her head down as she walked through the hallways, ignoring the looks that came to her.  She concentrated on her feet, placing one foot a ways in front of the other, shifting her weight expertly to the side of her body where it didn't hurt quite as bad.  

            "V!" she acted like she didn't hear the voice, keeping her head down so her blond hair shielded her from others' eyes.  She felt a hand grasp her arm, and she reflexively flinched, not moving.  The hand was gone as soon as it came.  "Sorry," came the apology, and she recognized the voice, cringing inwardly at what he would say once she looked up.  "Vanessa?  Are you okay?  C'mon, look at me, sweetheart," Chris Jericho said in a rush.  She closed her eyes, slowing looking up.  "Damn it to hell!" he cursed savagely, seeing the colors that danced across her face.  She jerked backward at the volume of his voice.  

            "Hello Chris," she said evenly, forcing up a smile, hiding the pain that spilt across her face as she did so.  He turned from his frustrated pacing to look at her.

            "You're going to go back to him, aren't you?" he asked quietly.  Vanessa closed her eyes and bowed her head.

            "It's what I have to do," she replied glumly.  

            "You don't have to do it!" Chris cried.  "If you go back, he'll just do it all over again!"  He looked at her for a response, but all she did for a moment was open her eyes slowly.  "He shouldn't treat you like…like he does!  You deserve better!  You can't just go back!"

            "Chris," she said in a tiny, wavering voice, her eyes trailing to a spot on the wall behind him, "I love him."

            "_How_ can you love him?" he asked desperately.  

            "Love is blind," she countered.

            "Yeah, and if you weren't lying, it'd have to be blind, deaf, mute, and really dumb!"

            "Who are you, _Jericho, do be the judge of who I love and who I don't?"_

            "I'm your friend!"

            "Oh, really?" she snapped.  His expression faltered, and he reached out for her.  She stepped back, looking down to the left, away from him.

            "I'm sorry, V, but you just…  You can't go back," Chris said pleadingly.  Vanessa looked up again, heaving a sigh.

            "I really you could understand, Chris, I really do, but you can't."

            "Why can't I?" he said, staring down at her.  "I don't understand, that's where you're right, but maybe I can.  This is all I know, V.  If you keep going back, he's going to keep hurting you.  Whatever you tell me, I know you don't like it.  And don't try that everyone has faults bullshit now," he added warningly, seeing her mouth open.  "You don't love him."

            "I do!" she said forcefully.  

            "Can you look me in the eye and say you love him?" Chris questioned, knowing the answer was no, "Can you look me in the eye and say that you want to go back?"

            "Chris," she said, meeting his eyes, "I don't want to go back.  I _have to go back."  _

            "Vanessa!" yelled a third voice.  They both turned to see Rob Van Dam jogging toward them.

            "Nice of you to join our little love fest," Vanessa commented sarcastically.  

            "What are you two arguing about?" he asked, moving his duffel bag to his other arm. 

            "Why she shouldn't go back to that bas–"

            "Nothing," Vanessa said firmly, cutting Chris off.  She grabbed the handle of her suitcase.  "I'm going to leave now, Test is waiting for me."  Vanessa started to walk, but only got three steps before Rob stopped her.

            "You can't be going back to him!" he cried, his eyes wide.  She gritted her teeth, her jaw muscle burning with fierce pain.

            She turned to face him and said calmly, "I've had this discussion with Jericho, and I'm not about to repeat it twice.  I am going back, and that is final."

            "But you can't!" Rob said, his voice turning into in angry tone.  

            "It should be my choice who I love and stay with, right?" she spat, knowing the answer.

            "Yes," Rob admitted with a sigh.  

            She stuck her chin up in determination, "Then I choose to stay with Test."

            "You can't!  He'll hurt you!"

            "He already has!" she snapped loudly, taking a few deep breaths as Rob looked at her, shocked by her outburst.  Vanessa took the chance to walk away quickly.

            Rob went to follow her, but Chris put a hand on his shoulder.  "She won't listen to any of us," he said quietly.  Rob sighed, bowing his head, knowing that Chris was right, but not liking it at all.

            "You think that if we beat that idiot so hard that he wouldn't be able to stand, much less hurt her, she would mind?"

            "I sure wouldn't," Chris answered, lightening at the image of Test with two broken legs.  After a moment, he sighed, looking down the hall that Vanessa had walked along.  "She'll come around," he mumbled, mostly to reassure himself.  

            "What if she doesn't?" Rob replied, a dreading feeling goring into his stomach.  "You saw it.  She's always going back to him.  Does it really matter the number of weeks she's done it, in her mind?  It's the same old routine, Chris."

            Chris walked down the hall, keeping pace with Rob as they headed to the men's locker room.  He didn't answer Rob, and mostly because Rob had sounded like the negative part of his thoughts that he tried to hide.  He couldn't answer Rob, because he didn't have an answer.  No matter how much he wanted one.


	3. Chapter 3

_My Enemy's Enemy_

_Chapter 3_

_"They say to keep your friends close, and your enemies even closer.  But what if you don't know which is which?"_

            Vanessa Cleveland looked up as Test paced across their locker room, once and a while throwing a fake punch.  She was sitting on the wooden bench that provided the only sitting area, leaning as far as she could back, her legs balled up in front of her.  He was slowly getting into the mindset for his rematch against Scott.  

            "Test?" a feminine voice from outside the door said, and he opened it.  Vanessa watched through sullen blue eyes as he shamelessly flirted with the pretty brunette while she told him that his match was up.  

            "Come on, Vanessa," he said sharply when the brunette left.  Like a dog following an order, she got up, walking to him, ignoring the mirror completely.  She had done her best to hide the bruises with make-up, but in the end had thrown on a pair of hip-hugging flare jeans and a low cut top.  

            By the time they made it to the ring, Stacy and Scott had already arrived and done their posing, and Stacy was on the outside, looking a bit nervous as Test entered the ring.  Vanessa walked past the stairs and to her spot on the outside of the match.  Test, happy and arrogant over his win to Scott the week before, overlooked many moves he could've countered, leaving Scott at an advantage.

            Vanessa allowed her eyes to fix away from Test as he slowly lost all control over Scott, her eyes straying to the crowd.  Closing her eyes briefly, she let the roar of the crowd echo through her ears until she heard the mat crash.  Half-heartedly, she yelled encouragement to Test as Scott lifted him up.  

            "What?" Vanessa whispered as the bell jerked her from her thoughts, a minute after a loud crack sounded.  A steel chair was firmly in Test's hands, and Scott was defenseless on the ground.  Test brought the chair down in fearful bursts of power, cracking the dented chair against Scott's bleeding body a total of five more times.  Vanessa slid into the ring as Stacy did.  When Stacy went to break up Scott and Test, Vanessa leapt at her, spearing her to the mat.  The spear wasn't great, as Vanessa wasn't a wrestler, but it stilled Stacy.  Vanessa looked back at Test, and then at Stacy, hoping that her attacking Stacy had stopped any thoughts of him attacking her with the steel chair.

            "What the hell did you do that for?" Test said.  

            She looked warily at the steel chair in his grip, blood smeared across it in a sick spider web.  

            "ANSWER ME!" he brought the steel chair swinging.  She hit the mat, somersaulting before the steel hit her.  Stiff and in pain from the bruises on her skin, she walked to the edge of the ring away from him as he advanced.  Vanessa backed off every time he approached.  Soon enough, he'd backed her into a corner, grinning menacingly at her.  She held up her hands, worthlessly pleading for him not to hit her.  

            As he prepared to swing the chair into her, music blared suddenly from the speakers.  Vanessa gaped at the three men that came running down to the ring.  Test turned away from her, and she sunk to the bottom turnbuckle, unmoving as the three wrestlers completely destroyed Test, using the steel chair to their advantage.  

            The crowd cheered for the three wrestlers, which was probably a first, considering what they'd done in the past few days.  Vanessa struggled to her feet, her heart pounding.  They had just saved her!  The thoughts in her head were a jumbled, messy mush.  She pushed herself forward.

            "Tha-Thank you," she stuttered, as confused as the crowd had been to her saviors.

            The blonde in the group laughed, sticking out a hand for her to shake, "The asshole had it coming."  She shook his hand, forcing hers to stop shaking.  She was introduced quickly to the other two.  

            The full realization still hadn't hit her.  She looked down at Test.  His hair lay across his face, covering the horse-like horror.  Blood streaked across his chest.  She shivered.  

            I'm free, she realized finally, the shock of what had happened still running through her mind.  She wouldn't have to go back to him every night, receiving the physical and emotional beatings every night.  

            Every elation, every happy thought, crashed suddenly.  The men certainly wouldn't want her around!  She was a dead weight!  Her eyes still stared at Test.  He would make her pay for what they did.  

            "What's wrong, kiddo?" the blonde man said, not touching her because he knew she would draw back.

            "Nothing," she whispered.

            The old, white-haired man caught on to what she was thinking.  "Relax," he ordered, "He's not going to get you.  You're going to be with us.  That is, if you want to," he added.  

            "You can valet for us, too," the brown-haired youngster supplied, "So you wouldn't have to leave your job."

            She felt her jaw drop.  Everything she wished for was suddenly coming true so fast that she couldn't keep up.  Being freed from Test, being protected from him…  

            "So what do you think?" the old man asked.

            She nodded mutely.

            The blond man smiled, "I'm taking that is a yes, so, welcome to Evolution."

            She shivered in shock and joy.

-                       -                       -                       -                       -


End file.
